27: Roommate

"I intended to order takeout for us, but I accidentally fell asleep."

Ye Xiangwan placed the chopped bell peppers into the pan and said while stir-frying, "It's fine. I'll do the cooking from now on."

"Really? That’s great! I’ve never been able to cook, so I’ll handle the dishes."

"Hmm," Ye Xiangwan replied faintly.

The meal was ready quickly. Having lived alone for so long, Ye Xiangwan was quite skilled in the kitchen, though she hadn't had the time to cook a proper meal for herself in recent years.

"It smells amazing! Having a roommate who is both beautiful and a good cook is pure bliss." Mu Yunshen took a bite and gave a thumbs up.

Ye Xiangwan nodded without saying anything.

After taking two large bites, Mu Yunshen looked up again. "Um... I assume you’re younger than me? Do you mind if I call you Xiangwan? Or maybe Wanwan?"

The chopsticks in Ye Xiangwan’s hand paused. *Wanwan?*

Six years ago, after she got together with Feng Jinyan, he had called her Wanwan.

"Just call me Xiangwan," she said, lowering her eyes to continue eating.

"Sure. Sigh, I’m living away from home to prepare for next year’s postgraduate entrance exams, and the pressure is immense." Mu Yunshen sighed and continued, "So, Xiangwan, are you working now, or are you here for school? You don’t sound like a local, but I can't place your accent either—you don't have one at all. Are you a broadcasting major?"

Ye Xiangwan gave a self-deprecating smile inwardly. It seemed she hadn't left a trace of herself anywhere.

"I study medicine. I’ll go back to school after my internship."

"You’re a medical student?!" Mu Yunshen’s eyes sparkled. "I really envy medical students. I actually applied for clinical medicine when I took my college entrance exams, but I didn't get in... Medicine must be exhausting, right? Do you have to go on to get your master’s and doctorate? Wait, are you also here renting a place to study? Where do you go to school?"

"No. I’m in a combined master’s and doctoral program at B University."

Ye Xiangwan didn't look up, her voice as indifferent as ever.

"You’re an academic top student—no, an academic genius." Mu Yunshen clutched his forehead. "This is the first time I’ve met a girl as talented and beautiful as you. But why do you sound so unhappy about such a proud achievement? If you have any troubles, you can tell me. Even though I talk a lot, I’m a great listener. Anyway, don’t be too sad; everything will be fine."

Ye Xiangwan didn't respond, but after a moment, she nodded. "Hmm."

***

On the set.

"Nothing will ever be fine again!"

The lead actor, his face twisted in despair and resentment, slammed the wine bottle in his hand against the wall. The glass shattered, flying in every direction. A shard grazed his face, and a moment later, a small bead of blood welled up.

"I came to this city with nothing, so why did you lie to me?! Why are you leaving me too?!"

"Cut!"

Ma Hongkai nodded after watching the playback twice. "That’s a wrap."

The assistant director breathed a sigh of relief behind him, and the crew members exhaled the tension they had been holding.

There was no denying the lead actor’s performance was superb. He had captured the lowest, most oppressive, and teetering-on-the-edge-of-despair moments with such intensity that it felt heavy enough to swallow the room whole. Several young women on set were frowning, on the verge of tears.

Feng Jinyan, watching from the side, had been drawn into the scene.

"Lord Feng, is something wrong?" Ling Zhanyi asked quietly, noticing Feng Jinyan's troubled expression.

He couldn't understand why Lord Feng, who was so busy, had come to watch the filming. Although Feng Jinyan had promised Lu Yuyao he would return after this shoot, there was no reason for him to be on set in person.

Feng Jinyan raised a hand to rub his brow. "Let’s go."

"Oh? Alright."

As the streetlights flickered on, Feng Jinyan sat in the car heading back to the hotel. He leaned against the window, watching the streetlights blur as they sped by, lost in thought.

No one knew that the reason he came to the set was that he saw himself and Ye Xiangwan in the story.

When Ye Xiangwan had left, he had felt that same oppression, that same despair, that same chilling of the heart...

He had thought he could forget her, but upon seeing her again, those buried emotions had come surging back.

He had constantly sent people to look for her. His subordinates had reported that Ye Xiangwan had gone to a third-tier city in the south, where she had already rented a place and secured an internship, as if she were making a clean break from the past.

But the most puzzling piece of information was that the time Ye Xiangwan had left home was exactly that summer break when they had parted ways.

His men had even questioned her former classmates in Longchuan, who said that after he went abroad, Ye Xiangwan had changed completely. She buried herself in her studies, never speaking another word to anyone, and was so busy outside of school hours that no one could find her. It was all very strange.

Feng Jinyan suddenly felt as though he had grasped something. Many things had been overlooked, and he couldn't make sense of them yet. He decided that once he returned, he would visit Ye Xiangwan’s parents' home.

***

"Xiangwan, I bought pork ribs. How about we have sweet and sour ribs for lunch?" Mu Yunshen called out as he entered, changing his shoes. "I could smell something from the hallway. What are you cooking this morning that smells so good?"

Ye Xiangwan brought two mugs of hot milk from the kitchen and placed them on the table. "I grilled some sausages."

"You know, I used to be terrible at waking up. I felt like my bed was glued to me every morning, and I’d have to fight with it for at least half an hour. Now, I wake up just from the smell."

Ye Xiangwan placed the breakfast on plates and walked to the table, nodding. "Eat."

Mu Yunshen ran to wash his hands and sat back down. "This is so extravagant! Xiangwan, tell me, which man is going to be lucky enough to have you in the future? You look like a star, you study well, and you can cook so well."

Ye Xiangwan glanced at him briefly. "Just eat."

After breakfast, Ye Xiangwan went to put on her coat, ready to leave.

"Hey, Xiangwan, don't go yet! Wait for me to finish the dishes and I'll drop you off!" Mu Yunshen called out from the kitchen.

"No need, thank you." Ye Xiangwan took her phone and walked to the door.

"No, don't be so polite. I’m driving anyway—I’m meeting a friend and passing right by the Central Hospital. It’s just two plates, I’ll be done in a second, wait for me!"

Ye Xiangwan frowned. She didn't want to get too involved with Mu Yunshen, but she wasn't good at dealing with overly enthusiastic people. If she just walked out, she didn't fear offending him, but since they lived under the same roof, conflict would only be a nuisance.

She leaned against the doorframe and took out her phone.

She never posted on Weibo, only checking it out of habit every day to read the news. As she opened the trending list, she saw the second item marked with a "Burst" tag.